Monday, 3 April 2017

Thank you, Maria Grazia, for inviting us to launch the blog tour for
my latest project, The Darcy Monologues, here at My Jane Austen Book Club.
Similar to your own lovely blog, Austen’s brooding hero has an audience of
devoted readers that spans from one corner of the world to another, making it
an absolute pleasure to share this collection with your readers and connect
with people all over the world who have the same deep and abiding love for Mr.
Darcy.

Christina Boyd

When my Dreamcast of Austenesque authors joined me in creating
this collection, I knew I had a singular opportunity to collaborate on this
collection of fifteen short stories. Since I have fangirled each and every one
of these talented authors for quite some time now, we decided to turn the
spotlight back onto them, as I have asked each author to join us as they
fangirl one another throughout this blog tour. It is with the greatest pleasure
that I thank you and your readers for allowing me to share with the world this
anthology of Austenesque stories all told from the point-of-view of the most
tolerable man in all of England!

I hope everyone who joins us for this tour finds delight in
these author spotlights, the multimedia touches we’ve included for your
everyone’s reading pleasures, and the fabulous grand prizes, which have been
generously donated by this amazing group of authors. I can’t thank them enough
for taking part with me in this exciting endeavor! Please allow me to introduce
The
Darcy Monologues.

Mr.
Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome
features, noble mien, and the report, which was in general circulation within
five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a year. —Chapter III, Pride and Prejudice.

And that is how Jane Austen first establishes the hero of Pride and Prejudice. With a succinct one
line description, he garners the attention of all in Meryton, not to mention
every reader. But in the very next sentence, his proud and haughty manners
proved to have turned all goodwill against him. Worse yet, he insults our
heroine Miss Elizabeth Bennet by stating he is “in no humor to give consequence
to ladies slighted by other men.”

Since 1813, women have loved Mr. Darcy. Why? As Pride and Prejudice is established
through Elizabeth Bennet’s fine eyes, how are we to know his mind? How does
Darcy progress from “She is tolerable:
but not handsome enough to tempt me”
to “I thought only of you”?

We love Elizabeth because she is unaffected by his
wealth—rejecting his first marriage proposal—and eventually falling in love
with him notwithstanding the spoils and splendor. Despite the manifold of
faults against him, Darcy has estimable qualities that have stood the test of
time. Darcy is flawed but willing to change. Further, I will be bold and state
that I believe many of our book boyfriends are essentially Darcy in disguise.
If I were to create a Venn diagram listing Darcy-like ideal traits—handsome,
rich, powerful, cerebral, constant, cool-headed, honest, gallant—you might
recognize Darcy in great literary and romantic heroes or film icons like
Gilbert Blythe, John Thornton, Gabriel Emerson, Edward Cullen, Lloyd Dobbler,
Jake Ryan, Richard Blaine, Gaston Lachaille, Mr. Big, Poldark… For me, I have
always had a weakness for the rich, powerful, and handsome protagonist who
improves for the love of an admirable woman.

“The
only way to get a man like Mr. Darcy is to make him up.”—‘Jane
Austen’ fictionalized in Miss Austen
Regrets (BBC, 2008). And thank heavens, the real Miss Austen created him.
The ladies from The Darcy Monologues
invite you to spend some quality time inside the head of this enigmatic hero
and get to know him on more intimate terms. And as we pay homage to Jane Austen
on the bicentennial of her death, it is our hope that these 404 pages help
extend the moments with a most beloved character. “It’s your turn to say something now, Mr. Darcy.”

— Christina Boyd

N.B. The Darcy
Monologues, a short story collection edited and published under my own
banner, The Quill Ink, is available in trade paperback and e-book format May
21, 2017. This anthology, inspired by Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy, features fifteen
never-before published stories by some of my favorite (and hopefully yours too)
Jane Austen-inspired authors—all bound by their esteem of the literary world’s
ultimate catch.

I’ll admit, when
Christina Boyd asked me to read Melanie Stanford’s “The Beast of Pemberley,” I
agreed with a heavy dose of skepticism. Beauty and the Beastwas never my
favorite tale. I’m not only a pedantic realist, I’m also an unrepentant
feminist...what some in certain circles might call a real buzzkill. I don’t like fairy tales or princess stories, and
of all of them, Beauty and the Beastis
my least favorite. I know that it’s supposed to be a parable about beauty only
being skin deep, loving the person within, etc., but I’ve always seen it as
glorified Stockholm Syndrome fable told from the point of view of a woman whose
name literally means beauty. I didn’t want to see my beloved Elizabeth and
Darcy in the roles of captor and prisoner.

I really should have
known better. After Sway, Ms. Stanford’s
brilliant re-imagining of Persuasion, I should have realized
that her keen sense of storytelling would have her deftly weaving two classic
tales into one hauntingly romantic narrative. This is not Beauty and the Beast,nor
is it necessarily Pride and Prejudice,
but an ingenious mix of the two with high fantasy elements, viscerally real
consequence, and a hero (and heroine) worth swooning over. If I was a fan of Beauty
and the Beast, I would put
this down to the source material, but as I’m not, I can only credit Ms.
Stanford’s skill for retelling and her talent for drama. There is nothing I
love more than a brooding, gothic romance, and “The Beast of Pemberley”delivers.

Anyone who has read my
books (or my newsletter, or heaven help you, my Twitter feed) knows that I’m
not what you might call a “clean” author. Everything I write has a slightly dirty
sheen to it. My characters drink, curse, and enjoy all manner of sins. Virtue
is seldom lauded, and villains often escape with little consequence, because
that has always been my experience in life. Melanie Stanford and I couldn’t be
less alike in our writing, and that is a very
good thing, because truly good
stories, don’t just reflect the weighty, uncomfortable parts of life, they
should also remind us of things like loyalty, love, friendship, music, and
laughter. Ms. Stanford does this every time she picks up a pen. I’m not saying
her stories are fluff—far from it—I’m saying that she’s able to craft a
beautiful, well-rounded story, be it a cheeky take on Mansfield Park(the most difficult of Austen’s tales
to modernize) or the gut-punch regret and romance of Persuasion, Ms. Stanford
doesn’t shy away from pain, which makes the emotional payoff of her stories
that much more rewarding.

And to her credit, she’s
actually made me rethink Beauty and the Beast. Wonders never cease.

I stood at the altar, stiff and upright. Tense. Anxious.
Nervous. Excitement overpowering the throbbing from my scars. The clergyman in
front of me avoided my face. I had a mask on, but still he would not look at
me. The elaborately knotted cravat that Cogsworth insisted upon for my wedding
day felt tight, and I tugged at it.

The chapel on Pemberley’s estate had been unused since my
mother died but had been aired and thoroughly cleaned. Cogsworth had helped me
into my wedding coat, and I fitted the mask over my face myself, the stiff
black leather covering everything but my eyes and mouth. I only glanced in the
mirror to make sure it was straight, but that was enough for the flash of anger
and self-loathing to tumble through me. Handsome no longer. But better the mask
than the scars.

The doors opened, and a sharp wind blew in, piercing the
stillness. I turned . . . and there she was.

Enchanting.

Alone—because I made it so. And brave. I did not want anyone
else gawking at the man in the mask with scars snaking from his coat sleeves.

Her gown was white lace adorned with flowers. The bodice was
tight, enhancing the swell of her breasts, a golden cross resting on her neck.
The skirt fanned out, lightly brushing the floor as she walked. Her hair was
arranged with baby’s breath and coiled into a floral crown. She carried a
bouquet of borage and dahlias in her hands. For courage and dignity?

Her slippered feet barely made a sound as she made her way
down the short aisle—leaving silence in its wake. The only guests in the pews
were my servants. She would not look at me.

I could not take my eyes off her. The parson spoke, but I
heard nothing. She stared blankly ahead when she recited the words betrothing
herself to me. I wondered how she could say the words she so evidently could
not mean. Even when she was forced to face me as the marriage ribbon was tied
around our hands, she would not meet my eyes. Her hand was warm in mine, soft
against my scars. Yet, she did not flinch at the sight, and I adored her even
more for that.

The ceremony ended. My servants rose with a smattering of
applause. Elizabeth yanked her hand from mine, the ribbon stinging against my
wrist, and she fled the chapel.

Jane Austen, the
19th-century novelist who created some of the most beloved heroes and heroines
in literature has inspired a new collection of short stories by a fabulous team
of fifteen Austenesque authors. This collection of stories are all told from Mr.
Darcy’s point-of-view and they take place in a variety of settings, including
the Regency era, as well as some stories that are based in contemporary
settings. As readers throughout the world honor the bicentenary anniversary of
Austen’s death this year, the authors of The Darcy Monologues share with us
how Jane has inspired them both as women and as writers, while they also share
with us why they believe Fitzwilliam Darcy still speaks to the hearts and the
desires of the modern-day women.

Thank you
for visiting with us today, Melanie. It’s a pleasure to have you join us today
to launch this blog tour. To help me introduce you to my readers, would you
care to share a six-word memoir that tells us about yourself?

Always dancing,
daydreaming, writing, and mothering.

How did you
come to be inspired by Miss Austen, as both a woman and as a writer?

My mom is the one who got me into Austen in the first
place—she loves the classics, and would watch the ’95 version of Pride &
Prejudice often. But I came to love Austen’s works on my own because of the
romance, the wit, and the women who struggle to do the best with the lot
they’re given in life. Austen herself seems so ahead of her time, a woman who
wasn’t content to just sit there and do needlework, or marry the first man who
offered. She fought for what she wanted, and her characters do the same, and
that’s inspiring to me.

Your story, The Beast of Pemberley, and Jane Austen,
what do you think makes them work together? What do they have to say to each
other?

I don’t know if Austen herself would approve of me turning
Darcy into the Beast from Beauty and the Beast, but I think it
just works. Both are proud and vain. Both are rich and fall for the woman of a
lower class. Both need to learn to love, and both are taught how to be better
men by the object of their affections. There are parallels between Lizzie and
Belle too—their wit, their strength, the fact that they don’t back down in the
face of fear. It was a lot of fun to blend these two stories into one.

The
modern-day woman appears as besotted as ever by Mr. Darcy. What were the
attributes that you felt you needed to include in the Mr. Darcy character in
your story?

Definitely the vanity and pride, mixed with the Beast’s
temper and desperation. There’s something about the handsome, rich man who
thinks he’s too good for everyone, but then falls for that one woman. He does
everything he can to win her over, and that’s what I wanted to include in my
story.

Why do
believe Austen’s stories still speak to modern-day readers?

Austen’s stories are so relatable, even in our time. The
family relationships, the romance, the feminism. It’s easy to see ourselves in
one or more of her heroines. Her stories also reflect a simpler time that I
think many readers like to escape to, and even wish to be a part of.

What can
readers look forward to reading from you in the future and how can readers stay
in touch with you?

I have a novella coming out this summer called CLASH. It’s
related to SWAY, my Persuasion
retelling, but it’s about Ava’s older sister Beth (AKA: Elizabeth Elliot) and
how she finds her own happy ending. Later this year I hope to release my modern
North & South retelling, COLLIDE.

For over two hundred years, Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy has captivated readers’ imaginations as the ultimate catch. Rich. Powerful. Noble. Handsome. And yet, as Miss Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” is established through Elizabeth Bennet’s fine eyes, how are we to know what his tortured soul is indeed thinking? How does Darcy progress from “She is tolerable: but not handsome enough to tempt me” to “I thought only of you”?

In this romance anthology, fifteen Austen-inspired authors assemble to sketch Darcy’s character through a series of re-imaginings, set in the Regency through contemporary times—from faithful narratives to the fanciful. Herein “The Darcy Monologues”, the man himself reveals his intimate thoughts, his passionate dreams, and his journey to love—all told with a previously concealed wit and enduring charm.

One winner will win our grand prize of 24 paperback books, each one autographed by the author, and mailed to the winner’s home. Please see the enclosed graphic for the list of books included in this giveaway.

Oh dear. This is the first excerpt I have read in this wonderful book and I already feel like crying for poor Darcy. I have no idea yet why they are marrying or what happened to him but this is so sad. I can't wait for my copy but will have plenty of tissues handy

Great way to launch the TDM blog tour, ladies!Thanks for the kick-off, Maria.Growing up, one of my daughters loved Beauty and the Beast. Now, like Beau, she’s an unrepentant feminist … with a cat named Belle. I was enchanted by Melanie’s contribution to the anthology, and today I owe her an apology. When I shared this to Facebook, I misspelled her surname (Sanford instead of Stanford) and realised it as soon as I hit ‘post’, of course. So sorry for the beastly mistake!

YAY! YAY! YAY! This is going to be so awesome. I'm really looking forward to reading this book, and also looking forward to enjoying the blog tour. Thank you for your review of Melanie's story, Beau.

Regarding the giveaway, the details say to "see the enclosed graphic for the list of books included". I don't know what that means. I don't see any graphic with 24 books, although there is the one with stories included in The Darcy Monologues, and I don't think this is what you mean. Any help?

Thanks for an amazing first post on the tour ladies. Beau's "fangirl" appreciation of Melanie's story was so heartfelt. I love the graphic she designed for this story too. I think it's my favourite out of the fifteen.

Like Ginna, I was wondering about the graphics for the prizes, but thanks to Christina's hint, I've just been over to FB and seen the luscious goodies you lovely people are offering. The book package simply made me drool! I may have quite a few of the 24 but mainly as ebooks, so to have them all in physical form, and signed to boot, would be out of this world.

Maria - It's always such a treat to visit My Jane Austen Book Club :) You're a great support to Austen readers and to writers too! I've read some of the Darcy Monologues already, but hadn't yet started Melanie's Beast of Pemberley. This excerpt makes me think I might delve into that one next. I loved "Sway" and I know I'll love this story too. Thanks for kicking off the blog tour in style!

Thanks for the great review, Beau, I Loved it!! Beautifully said, and full of realism and humour, like your books. I loved Melanie's story, went in ready to love it as I didn't have your reservations about 'Beauty and the Beast' (will you still come for a drink with me if I tell you it's one of my favourites? The Disney touch must have something to do with it, and especially that library). There was so much emotion in Melanie's story, and it felt so real, for all the fantasy element. A joy to read, and it remained with me for a long time. And wow, your artwork! Love it! Fits every story so beautifully!!

About Me

I've been an English teacher for a long time now and a blogger for more than 5 years. I love classic literature, reading, theatre, period drama, art and that is what I usually write about on FLY HIGH and My Jane Austen Book Club. I'd love to hear from you! Leave your comments to my posts or send e-mail messages to learnonline.mgs@gmail.com.